Yes – merle dogs can be just as healthy as dogs that have a solid color
.
Are merle puppies healthy?
as well as those that have the merle allele are
prone to sensory, neurological and /or immunological problems
. These defects have been observed and researched in other dog breeds (i.e. Australian Shepherds, Great Danes, Shetland Sheepdogs) that also carry these dilution alleles including the merle allele.
Do merle dogs have more health problems?
Double-merle dogs carry a much higher risk of inheriting health problems
, especially various eye problems and congenital deafness. Single-merle dogs are less likely to be affected by such problems and can remain perfectly healthy.
Why is the merle gene bad?
In a double merle, the marbling/lightening effect is doubled and the coat becomes predominantly white.
Double merles also have a very high chance of being deaf, blind, or both because they lack pigment where it would normally be
. The pups that do not inherit the gene twice are “normal” dogs.
Should I buy a merle dog?
Yes – merle dogs can be just as healthy as dogs that have a solid color
. They have the same life expectancy, they are just as strong and athletic and smart as their counterparts without the merle gene. In lines with responsible merle breedings, all offspring will be healthy and live a long life.
Is merle a defect?
Merle is actually a heterozygote of an incompletely dominant gene
. If two such dogs are mated, on the average one quarter of the puppies will be “double merles”, which is the common term for dogs homozygous for merle, and a high percentage of these double merle puppies could have eye defects and/or be deaf.
Do merle dogs go blind?
On the most severe end, the Merle gene anomaly can cause blindness
. The front or back of your dog’s eye can be impacted; though the condition can impact both parts. Merle Ocular Dysgenesis is the name used when the entire eye is impacted.
Are merle dogs albino?
And
NO, there’s no such thing as a “part albino” dog
. In Double Merles, the white coat is produced by a doubling up of the gene responsible for merle. Their coat pattern is characterized by light colored background and irregular spots. Merle makes melanin pigmentation less intense in random areas of the dog’s body.
Can a double merle be healthy?
Double merles, despite their deficiencies, are
generally quite healthy dogs capable of living long, otherwise normal lives
. And they are no more aggressive, unpredictable or untrainable than hearing and sighted dogs.
Do dogs with blue eyes have health problems?
Blue eyes does not indicate that your dog will eventually go blind, deaf, or have any other genetic defects. Variation in pigmentation in the iris can occur for varying reasons, and
doesn’t necessarily point to health concerns
.
Are merle poodles hypoallergenic?
Good news for all you guys suffering from allergies:
merle poodles are hypoallergenic
! Still, some dog experts might claim that the merle poodle isn’t hypoallergenic because of its coat color; it’s because the poodles, in general, don’t usually trigger allergies.
Why are merle dogs more expensive?
Why are merle dogs so expensive? In a nutshell, merle dogs are expensive because
puppy buyers are willing to pay a lot of money for them
. The pattern is very sought-after, and the more demand there is, the higher breeders can set their prices. In addition, merle breedings can be quite rare in some breeds.
What breeds carry the merle gene?
The Merle pattern can be seen in various breeds, such as the Australian Shepherd Dog, Australian Koolie, Border Collie, Dachshund, French Bulldog, Louisiana Catahoula, Labradoodle, Miniature American Shepherd, Miniature Australian Shepherd, Pyrenean Shepherd, Rough Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, Welsh Sheepdog, Cardigan …
Can you breed merle to Brindle?
Double Merle Breeding –
The resulting offspring are known as being: Double-Merle, Double-Merled or Double-Dappled.
We do not condone this type of breeding and consider it as Irresponsible, Unethical and “Quick Sells” methodology
.
Do all merles have blue eyes?
All merles may have blue or partially blue eyes
, and pink or partially pink noses. Merle can be completely hidden by recessive red, as recessive red dogs can’t make eumelanin pigment and merle only affects eumelanin. A recessive red merle is sometimes known as a phantom merle.
How do I know if my dog is merle?
The merle gene modifies the dark pigment in the eyes, occasionally changing dark eyes to blue, or only part of the eye to blue. Since Merle causes random modifications,
both dark-eyed, blue-eyed, and odd-colored eyes are possible. Color on paw pads and nose may be mottled pink and black
.
Is merle a recessive gene?
The merle gene exists as two alleles: the dominant allele Merle (M), and the recessive Non-merle (m)
. If a dog inherits the dominant M allele from at least one parent, it will have merle characteristics.
Is merle a genetic mutation?
Merle is among the most exciting coat color mutations of dogs both phenotypically and genotypically
. The autosomal semidominant inheritance of this mutation was described nearly a century ago. Two alleles have been identified and distinguished: the wild “m” allele and the mutant “M” (or merle) allele [8].
Is the merle gene natural?
Merle is a genetic pattern that features mottled patches of color. Beyond these patches of color, the dog has a solid or piebald coat. Usually, dogs with the merle pattern have odd-colored eyes. While
merle does occur naturally in some breeds
, it is not recognized as a color for Pitbulls.
Do merle puppies change color?
Merle Dog Puppies
Merle coloring can become darker with age
. So, be aware that those white areas on your merle puppy may start to look grayer as your dog ages. But other than that, a merle dog puppy will have all the attributes of an adult of the breed.
What is a homozygous merle?
When two merle-patterned dogs are bred together, each puppy in the litter has a 25% chance of inheriting that gene from both parents
. The resulting offspring is referred to as a double, or homozygous merle.
Do white dogs have more health issues?
Still, you may be interested to know that
albinism in dogs has been shown to correlate to a much higher risk of certain health problems, including skin cancer
. Likewise, studies have shown that pigmented white dog breeds are at higher risk of deafness, as well as skin issues, including increased risk of sunburn.
What happens if you breed two Merles?
If two merle dogs are bred together,
each puppy in the litter has a 25% chance of being born a double merle
. A double merle inherits the merle gene twice. One copy of the merle gene causes a marbling effect on the coat and creates lighter spots throughout the solid color coat.
Can you mate merle to merle?
Why
you shouldn’t breed two merle dogs together
Merles are popular, so it seems only logical to breed two merles together to get more merles. No. Don’t do it. The merle pattern is produced when a dog has a single copy of the M< allele.
